The traditional motivation assumption is that life is about money, position or status relative to others and power over others, or some combination of these. This has led businesses to wide spread design of productivity programs and pay and progression systems that are based on incentives, reward and recognition and rating and ranking of employees. I believe these are unethical and irresponsible approaches because they do not develop the full potential of humans. And often limit is for those not at the top of the pile, losing a large source of creativity. That also makes it impractical. And therefore they cannot contribute their full potential in the business or life. But I am not alone in this thought.
Significant research and practice over the last three decades has demonstrated that humans have different forms of motivation than these typical considered in a business setting. On this blog I have reviewed several book along this theme. I examined the downside of praise and feedback as explored in Nurture Shock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman. Recently we reviewed Daniel Pink’s new book, Drive: What motivates us may surprise you, who has pulled together the research on intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation. Extrinsic reduces motivation it turns out, diminishes motivation and intrinsic increases it greatly. Each of these books has challenged traditional ideas about motivation. I published a paper over a decade ago is how extrinsic motivation is an ethical issue for me as well. The ethical question is one of ignoring the full story of human motivation. When this more complex picture is understood, businesses and other organizations develop humans being toward a higher ability to contribute. It requires a more nuances understanding of motivation than recognition and incentives
Some leaders have used Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (which parallel motivation drives). There is a book review is this blog on Wednesday of Chip Conley’s book, Peak: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow. All of his work suggests that humans aspire to more. Maslow calls this more, “self-actualizing”. This is a psychological way of saying that we are more motivated by being fulfilled and able to realize our potential. We value this even more than satisfying our worldly needs and even our relationship needs. Maslow does suggest that the lower needs must be met first; although there is some recent research indicating this may not always be the case. And in fact the ability to self-actualize may satisfy the lower needs. This stance has a long philosophical history starting with Socrates who believes that people lost what he called “force” in life if they were not developing and growing as beings and giving back in a meaningful way that was distinctive to them.
In my work with business, I have found that there is also an additional critical element to Maslow’s hierarchy above self-actualizing. I call it “system actualizing”. We, as humans, are highly motivated to contribute and make a difference to something bigger than ourselves, most often something to which we are a part. Our families certainly qualify. And our communities! But businesses that have decided to be The Responsible Business, my new book as well, are taking on this additional level. They seek ways to make a difference in the full lives of customers, Earth, suppliers in their businesses and ability, the uniqueness of communities, as well as the highest aspirations of investors. They find ways to connect their employee’s motivation to “more than” the traditional programs. They connect them to the outcomes they create in people’s lives.
People will try longer and harder for a customer’s success, it turns out, than for a few incentives to meet customer specification. When DuPont of Canada, connected every employee in the company to a customer, as their personal champion, back to the business, the motivation went through the roof. The champions were responsible for collaborating with their championed customer in ensuring the customer’s success. The reports from customer feedback forms and reports on meeting company goals they had received, with incentives to do better, were nothing compared to making a real difference in a customer’s life. When Merida Meridian told their production team that their job was to increase the capability of their suppliers in Brazil and India to have viable businesses, they found new levels of energy to work with their suppliers in this development role. There is no praise or recognition but by the champion who shares the story of their customer’s success. Their pride is beyond what they felt when they used to be recognized internally. This came from actualizing another system beyond them.
Focusing people on something beyond themselves to which they can contribute is a powerful source of motivation. It is connect them to the greater systems they can serve beyond themselves. You cannot buy this kind of motivation. But it is profitable in many ways including the financial ones.
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